World Destruction (5): Doomsday Cult's Demise and the Screen Demon
Crunch!
I snapped one guy's neck to drop him first, snatched his gun, and unloaded on the bastards.
Can't use demonic energy? This was right in front of civilians. Flaunting it openly was as good as spreading rumors about monsters. So I was doing the most "humane" thing possible.
"Don't worry about it! We have to wipe out our own lives too! Kill as many as you can!"
Even after I sprayed enough bullets to drop a good number of them, those fuckers didn't give a shit. They just got more frantic, firing even faster.
Thwip! Thwip!
Bullets slammed into me all over, but every single one bounced off without leaving a mark. Those alliance pricks from yesterday must've had some weird ammo—this was normal.
They probably didn't even see me take the hits.
Shit was too chaotic; most people weren't looking our way. With me standing there unscathed, they'd just assume I dodged.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
I ignored the bullets flying at me, kept grabbing guns off the ground, and mowed them down.
"Grahk!"
"Why won't it die?!"
"Doom! That's doom too!"
By the time I'd dropped around thirty of them, the rest started screaming at each other and freaking out. Then...
"We can't die by doom's hand!"
"Hurry, hurry!"
Bang! They all turned their guns on themselves and blew their brains out in unison.
"..."
I tossed the gun to the floor and let out a sigh at the gruesome sight.
This is fucked from the jump.
"Is it over?!"
Yoo Hwa came rushing up, breathless. Her body had bullet holes too, but no wounds.
"Yoo Hwa, looks like we can't take it easy and head downstairs now."
"Wh-what do we do then?"
I gave her a serious look.
"We're riding trains all day today. Gotta mark teleport points across all of Seoul."
"...We made the last train somehow."
"This was no joke."
We finally pulled into the last station on the last train, and I let out a sigh.
"Teleports marked across all of Seoul now."
We stepped out of the station and gazed up at the pitch-black night sky.
"What's next?"
"Grab something to cover our faces. Mart's... probably closed now." I glanced around. "Let's hole up somewhere till morning, then buy supplies."
"Got it."
Yoo Hwa nodded and scanned the area.
"PC bang over there—wanna go?"
"...Not playing games with you."
"Why not?"
I shook my head, remembering how she'd wrecked me last time.
"We don't have to game. Just kill time there."
"True...?"
It was the perfect spot to burn hours, honestly.
"Right there."
Yoo Hwa pointed at the building down the street.
We headed down a quiet road with hardly anyone around and slipped into the PC bang.
Even if it was 24/7, it was late night—barely any customers.
We paid up till around 9 a.m. and grabbed seats in a dim corner.
Powered on the PCs. Yoo Hwa was already ordering food—planning to murder the night shift part-timer with her appetite, apparently.
I stared blankly at my screen, lost in thought.
Why mark teleports all over Seoul?
To hit incidents hard and fast. Gather intel, then teleport in and handle it.
I'd planned a slow sweep from the top down, nice and leisurely. But this morning made it clear that wasn't happening.
PC busted or something?
Why was the monitor so black? PC was on, but no light, nothing. Just my reflection—and the girl standing right next to me.
The station, other seats, my face... and the woman beside me.
Swish.
I turned to look.
Nothing there.
She was only on the monitor.
"Yoo Hwa, check this out."
"What? Uh..."
Yoo Hwa peered at it and trailed off.
"How do we catch it?"
"Yeah... it's in the screen, can't grab it..."
Tough call. How to snag this thing? Smash the monitor?
-
As we pondered, the girl on-screen started sweating bullets, then bolted away in a flash.
"Gone."
"Too bad."
I scratched my head.
"First monster to rabbit like that, right?"
Well, one other—Yoo Hwa, after eating my demonic energy blast. Begged me not to hit her again.
"Hey!"
-...?
I yelled, and she peeked out from the corner of the monitor.
She came when called.
"What are you?"
-???
She tilted her head in confusion.
"Can't talk?"
Nod, nod.
"Won't kill you. Come here."
Her face lit up in surprise, and she dashed to the front of the screen.
Still not real-world present.
What kind of monster is this?
Wasn't trying to kill anyone. Unlike Yoo Hwa at first.
And it had demonic energy? How?
"Hold still."
I pressed a finger to the monitor and pumped in demonic energy.
Flail!
The screen filled with it, and she yelped, tumbling over.
So we can connect like this?
"Stand up."
Slither.
The energy grabbed her and pulled her upright.
-? ??? ??
She looked around frantically, eyes welling up.
"You bullying it?"
"Nah."
I shook my head at Yoo Hwa's question.
Just curiosity. She didn't look evil, no malice.
I could only turn living things into demons.
One—Yoo Hwa—is kinda thin for a lineup.
Demon King with a single underling? Looks bad.
Slither.
The energy holding her started sinking into her body.
-!!!! !!!!
Her mouth moved like crazy, but no sound.
Ah, so that's why she couldn't talk.
Slither.
As it absorbed, she calmed down. Once it was all in...
"What the hell! What'd you do to me?!"
Like Yoo Hwa, she turned fully human-looking. She was cute for a monster before, but now? Stunning.
"Can talk now, huh?"
More like sound coming from the speakers, technically.
"Hey? What to call you? V-Tuber?"
"What kinda nonsense is that?!"
The girl on-screen flew into a rage.
"My body's all weird! Turned human... and I can talk?!"
"Isn't that good?"
"Eh?"
She paused, face conflicted.
"Like an upgrade?"
"I... guess?"
She nodded slowly, looking puzzled.
"Anyway, what'd you do?!"
"Made you a demon."
"De...mon?"
Head tilt. No clue what demons are.
"Short version: my minion, as Demon King."
"Minion?"
"Vassal sound better?"
I grinned at her.
"I don't turn just anyone. Seen over four thousand monsters—demons? You make two."
"Hi~!"
Yoo Hwa waved cheerfully at the screen.
"Your senior. Say hi."
"Uh, I don't get any of this...?"
She looked dizzy but spoke cautiously.
"Yeah, pretty sudden."
I nodded and launched into explanations. Heroes and Demon Kings. Demonic energy and mana. What demons are, current situation.
-
She listened quietly, then nodded.
"Don't wanna be a demon? I can revert you."
Simple—just yank out the energy. But only on day one. After, it roots in.
Couldn't revert Yoo Hwa anymore.
"Hm..."
She pondered, then spoke.
"Seems... okay?"
Can talk now, no more monster treatment...
"You on the run from the Association too?"
"Dunno Association, but nearly died once."
"Why?"
"Guy freaked when I popped on his monitor, smashed it. Wouldn't have escaped, might've been toast."
Physical smash kills her? What a fragile monster...
"Wanna be a demon then?"
"Yeah. I do."
She nodded.
"No name. Woke up in the network. Name me?"
"Cool."
What to call her...
"Yoo Hwa, ideas?"
"Program, so... Frame?"
"Lazy as fuck. Cool with it?"
"Yeah, like it. Frame it is."
She nodded. Really?
"Now boot the screen proper. Wanna use the PC."
"Dunno if I can. Couldn't before."
Snap!
She snapped her fingers. Screen lit up—with Frame standing there.
"Whoa! It works! Demon powers boosted my abilities, huh!"
"For real."
I watched Frame scamper around the desktop.
Click.
"Eek!"
Opened the browser, and she smacked into a window, tumbling over.
Oof.